Signal device for railroads



Sept. 12, 1939. R. M. LINDSEY SIGNAL DEVICE FOR RAIIROADS Filed July 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Sept. 12, 1939. R. M. LINDSEY SIGNAL DEVICE FOR RAILROADS Filed July 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /7 INVENTOR mun/Y6.

d BY My ATTOR N EYS Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to signal devices for railroads and has for an object to provide a signal device to warn trainmen of an obstruction on the track caused by earth, rock or snow slides.

5 A further object is to provide signal apparatus of this character which will automatically energize signal lamps located at any desired point, local or remote, to indicate an obstruction on the track.

'10 A further object is to provide signalling apparatus of this character, which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

15 With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing signalling apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a front elevation, with portions broken away, showing the main mercury switch which is operated by a trip device dislodged by an earth, rock or snow slide.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fi ure 3 with parts broken away.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a solenoid controlled switch which is operated by the main switch and controls the signal lamp circuit.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the 40 line 66 of Figure 5 and also showing the electrical connections of the device.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, IS designates poles located along the side of a railroad track H for supporting circuit wires 22. Between two of the poles at a point where an earth, rock or snow slide is apt to occur, a trip plate !3 is hingedly secured at the bottom, through the medium of leaf hinges 50 M to a base plate iii of any preferred type imbedded in the ground between the poles and the track as best shown in F gure 2. The trip plate normally extends upright and is secured by frangible chains 15 to the poles, as best shown in 55 Figure 1. Upon the occurrence of a slide, pressure of the slide against the trip plate rocks the plate toward the track on the hinges It to actuate signal devices which will now be described.

Mounted on one of the poles I0 is a normally open mercury switch I! which is enclosed in a 5 casing IS. The purpose of the mercury switch is to initially close a circuit from the line wires 22 to warning signal apparatus when the trip plate is swung downwardly by pressure of an earth, rock or snow slide against the trip plate. Re- 10 ferring now to Figure 3 it will be seen that a lead wire I9 is connected to one of the circuit wires 22 and to a flexible conductor 20 which is connected to one of the terminals of the mercury switch [1. A flexible conductor 2! is connected to the other terminal of the switch and to a lead wire 22 which is connected to one end of the winding of a solenoid 35, the other end of the solenoid winding being connected to the other side of a mercury switch 45 later described in detail. A wire I9 is connected to the other terminal of the mercury switch 45 and to the other line wire 22'. The solenoid and mercury switch 45 control the operation of signal lamps 63 and 65 as will be later described.

The mercury switch I! is mounted on a lever 23 which is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends on the casing I8 through the mediumv of a pivot pin 24. A spring 25 is interposed between the bottom of the casing and one end of the 3 lever to normally hold the lever tilted and maintain the mercury switch in open circuit position.

A stop pin 26 is carried by a bracket arm 2'! which projects from the back wall of the casing. The stop pin limits movement of the lever under urge of the spring.

A link 28 is connected to the lever at the end thereof opposite the stop pin and is trained through guide straps 29 secured to the pole. Below the lower guide eye the link is provided with a chain 30 to which is attached an arm 3! which is rigidly connected to the trip plate I3 and extends at a right angle thereto. A spring connection 32 forms a portion of the link 28. Pressure of an earth, rock or snow slide against the trip plate rocks the trip plate to pull the link 28 downward and move the mercury switch to circuit closing position.

Arranged to face respectively up and down the track at a suitable distance from the trip plate I3 to give ample warning in case of a slide, is a pair of signal lamps 32, best shown in Figure 1. Each lamp is supported upon a standard 33 which rises from a casing 34.

The above mentioned solenoid 35, is mounted upon a suitable panel 36 in each casing 34, and is provided with a vertically disposed core 31 which is supported upon an angle bracket 38. The lower endof the core is interposed between the opposed ends of a pair of rock levers 39 and 40 which are mounted upon respective pivot pins 4| and 42 secured to the panel. The levers are provided with respective helical springs 43 and 44 which exert a pull upon the outer ends of the levers and move the levers on their pivots to enter the space vacated by the core 31 when the core withdrawn into the solenoid.

The above mentioned mercury switch 45 is carried by a lever 46 which is pivoted as shown at 41 on the panel. The free end of the lever normally engages against a stop lug 48 which extends downwardly from the free end of the lever 39 and is held in this position through the medium of a helical spring 49. When the mercury switch l1 on the pole I is moved to circuit closing position a circuit will be closed through the solenoid with the result that the solenoid is energized and withdraws the core 31 upwardly from between the levers 39 and 40. The spring 49 then contracts and moves the mercury switch 45 to open circuit position to cut oiT the solenoid. In the meantime the solenoid has operated to close a switch in a circuit from a battery to the signal lamp 32 as will now be described.

Referring again to Figure 5 it will be seen that a circuit closing arm 52 is hinged at the lower end to a ledge 53 which projects from the bottom of the panel 36. The arm is provided with a bridging switch contact 54 and the upper end of the arm is normally held against a downwardly extending stop lug on the beforementioned lever 49 through the medium of a helical spring 56. When the solenoid is energized the lever 40 is dislodged by its spring 44 from the arm 52 as soon as the core 31 is withdrawn into the solenoid. The arm then is moved by its controlling spring 56 to bridge a pair of switch contacts 51 and 58 carried by respective angle iron brackets 59 and 59 which are secured to and insulated from the ledge 53.

The switch contact 51 is connected to one side of the battery 5| by a conductor wire 6|, and the switch contact 58 is connected by a wire 62 to one end of the primary of a transformer 1. The other end of the primary is connected to the wire 9 which is connected to the other side of the battery. The secondary of the transformer energizes an arcuate neon lamp 63 mounted on the casing of the signal lamp 32 as best shown in Figure 1. The neon lamp is located in front of the lens 64 and in rear of the lens a signal lamp 65 is suitably mounted in the casing. The signal lamp is connected in parallel with the primary of the transformer through the medium of Wires 65 and 61, as best shown in Figure 6.

As has been seen, when the circuit through the solenoid is open at the mercury switch 45 the circuit from the battery is closed at the switch contacts 51 and 58 to simultaneously energize the neon lamp and the signal lamp. It will be pointed out that current flows through the circuit wires 22 and when the mercury switch l1 on the pole is moved to closed circuit position by the occurrence of a slide this current flow is only momentary through the solenoid when the circuit is broken at the mercury switch 45 to transfer the load from the circuit wire 22' to the battery 5| through the switch contacts 51 and 58.

In operation, briefly, when a slide dislodges the trip plate l3 the mercury switch l1 on the pole closes a circuit through the solenoid 35. Simultaneously with the closing of this circuit the solenoid core 31 releases the movable circuit closing arm permitting the same to bridge the contacts 51 and 58 and connect the battery direct to the signal lamp and neon lamp while at the same time the solenoid disengages the lever 39 from the lever 46 of the mercury switch 45 which is immediately moved by its spring 49 to open circuit position.

The mercury switch l1 remains in closed circuit position, and the mercury switch 45 remains in open circuit position, until manually reset for the next operation.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

A signal control apparatus comprising spaced poles, circuit wires on the poles, a trip member extending from one pole to another and pivoted at its lower end, the poles and member being located along a right of way where an earth, rock or snow slide is likely to occur, a normally open pivoted mercury switch'on one of the poles, a flexible connection between the switch and the trip member for moving the switch to closed position upon dislodgment of the trip member under impulse of a slide, a circuit connected to the circuit wires on the poles and connected to said switch, a solenoid in said circuit, a core for the solenoid, a normally closed mercury switch in said circuit, the solenoid being energized when the first named mercury switch is closed by the trip member to actuate the core, means con trolled by the core for tilting the second named mercury switch to open circuit position when the. solenoid is energized, a second circuit, asource of current in the second circuit, signal devices in said second circuit, a normally open switch in said second circuit, and additional means controlled by the core when the solenoid is energized for closing the last named switch.

RAFE M. LINDSEY. 

